Big scores at hockey tournament

NEW PLYMOUTH – With Olympic spots up for grabs at the Oceania Cup hockey tournament in Taranaki this week the event descended into farce on the opening day as teams from the Pacific islands conceded 85 goals in three games in Stratford.

New Zealand trounced Samoa 37-0 and Australia trounced Fiji 17-0 in the two men’s games while the New Zealand women broke their own record score when they crushed Samoa 31-0.

Little could be read into men’s results from two massive drubbings ahead of a New Zealand-Australia clash on Thursday. Those two teams are almost certain to meet again in the final on Sunday”

Neither Samoa nor Fiji register in the world rankings, which comprise the top 35 men’s and women’s teams.

Fiji men’s coach Shaun Corrie used to coach the women’s team and says funding is a constant challenge.

“Hockey is a small sport in Fiji so getting finances is hard. With whatever small money we can fundraise or that can get donated we make do but it’s really tough”.

Samoa women’s hockey captain Peta Mualia Teo says Samoa’s efforts to install artificial turf pitches back home have stagnated so the next five days is a welcome opportunity.

“So far there’s no progress. We’re still pushing, we’re still trying but we still haven’t heard from the government. We’ve been practising on old tennis courts and also on grass so I’m hoping these girls will pick up.

“I brought them here so they could experience playing with the big teams so hopefully they will take something out of it and go back and it well help develop their playing as well”.

- PNC